Odor Alert Issued for Coachella Valley

Coachella Valley residents were warned Monday to expect the smell of rotten eggs, the result of high levels of hydrogen sulfide being emitted by the Salton Sea.

The gas is the result of “natural processes” occurring in the Salton Sea and could be spread by high winds, according to the AQMD.

The odor was expected to linger into Tuesday, though levels of the chemical were expected to abate Monday.

State standards suggest hourly average concentrations of hydrogen sulfide outdoors should not exceed 30 parts per billion. Those levels peaked at 35 parts per billion this morning, downwind of the Salton Sea, according to the AQMD.

Levels measured by a second monitor in the nearby town of Mecca did not exceed the state standard.

At 30 parts per billion, some people could experience headaches and nausea. But the symptoms would be temporary and no long-term health effects should be expected, according to AQMD officials.

--City News Service, photo via Wiki Commons